Cover not available

Article In: Australian Review of Applied Linguistics: Online-First Articles

Sharing more than ideas

The use of appraisal devices in student asynchronous online discussions

ORCiD logo with link | University of Waikato
 | Independent researcherWellington
 | University of Waikato
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
Asynchronous online discussion (AOD), valued for its dialogic potential and flexibility in accommodating learners across time and space, is a prominent method in tertiary online education and a growing focus within e-learning research. Although AOD has been studied extensively, the specific linguistic strategies that enhance interpersonal communication in this context remain underexamined. This study adopts an appraisal framework to investigate linguistic devices used in three distinct types of online discourse: independent, cumulative, and exploratory talk. Analysing 98 discussion posts from six participants across five forums in a university blended course, the study demonstrates how distinct appraisal devices correlate with each talk type and how combinations of devices perform varied discourse functions. These insights into appraisal strategies provide a basis for developing practical tools in three areas: helping learners to articulate ideas, to establish connections with peers, and to extend their understanding.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Asynchronous online discussion
    • 1.2Appraisal framework and types of talk
  • 2.Research method
    • 2.1Text collection
    • 2.2Framework selection
    • 2.3Appraisal analysis
  • 3.Overview of discussion posts
  • 4.Appraisal devices in each type of talk
  • 5.Discussion and implications
  • Notes
  • Author queries
  • References
References (54)
References
Ädel, A. (2006). Metadiscourse in L1 and L2 English. John Benjamins Publishing Company. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2010). Just to give you kind of a map of where we are going: A taxonomy of metadiscourse in spoken and written academic English. Nordic Journal of English Studies, 9(2), 69–97. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2011). Rapport building in student group work. Journal of Pragmatics, 43(12), 2932–2947. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ädel, A., & Zych, I. (2018). Variation in metadiscursive “you” across genres: From research articles to teacher feedback. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 18(4), 777–796. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Al Tawil, R. (2019). Nonverbal communication in text-based, asynchronous online education. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 20(1), 144. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Anthony, L. (2026). AntConc. (Version 4.4.0) [Computer Software]. Tokyo, Japan: Waseda University. [URL]
Aull, L. L., & Lancaster, Z. (2020). Stance as style: Toward a framework for analyzing academic language. In P. Butler, B. Ray, & S. M. Vanguri (Eds.), Style and the future of composition studies (pp. 98–113). University Press of Colorado. [URL].
Cavasso, L., & Taboada, M. (2021). A corpus analysis of online news comments using the Appraisal framework. Journal of Corpora and Discourse Studies, 4, 1–38. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Chen, B., & Huang, T. (2019). It is about timing: Network prestige in asynchronous online discussions. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 35(4), 503–515. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
De Wever, B., Schellens, T., Valcke, M., & Van Keer, H. (2006). Content analysis schemes to analyze transcripts of online asynchronous discussion groups: A review. Computers and Education, 46(1), 6–28. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Delahunty, J. (2018). Connecting to learn, learning to connect: Thinking together in asynchronous forum discussion. Linguistics and Education, 46, 12–22. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dong, R., Wang, Y., Wei, C., Hou, X., Ju, K., Liang, Y., & Xi, J. (2023). Pursuing harmony and fulfilling responsibility: A qualitative study of the orientation to happiness (OTH) in Chinese culture. Behavioral Sciences, 13(11), 930. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Fear, W. J., & Erikson-Brown, A. (2014). Good quality discussion is necessary but not sufficient in asynchronous tuition: A brief narrative review of the literature. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 18(2), 21. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Forbes, D. (2022). Student expectations of peers in academic asynchronous online discussion. Journal of Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning, 26(1), 27–41. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Forbes, D., Daly, N., & Li, L. (2024). Designing discussion for online and blended courses: A forum for learning in higher education. Springer Nature Singapore. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in Higher Education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2), 87–105. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Halliday, M. A. K., & Matthiessen, C. M. I. M. (2014). Halliday’s introduction to functional grammar (4th ed.). Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hew, K. F. (2015). Student perceptions of peer versus instructor facilitation of asynchronous online discussions: Further findings from three cases. Instructional Science, 43(1), 19–38. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hoey, R. (2017). A critical analysis of characteristics that influence the effect of instructor discussion interaction on student outcomes. Online Learning Journal, 21(4), 263–281. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Howell, G. S., LaCour, M. M., & McGlawn, P. A. (2017). Constructing student knowledge in the online classroom: The effectiveness of focal prompts. College Student Journal, 51(4), 483–490.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Huang, L.-L. (2016). Interpersonal harmony and conflict for Chinese people: A Yin–Yang perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 847. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hyland, K. (2005a). Stance and engagement: A model of interaction in academic discourse. Discourse Studies, 7(2), 173–192. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2005b). Metadiscourse: Exploring interaction in writing. Continuum.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2018). Metadiscourse: Exploring interaction in writing (1 ed.). Bloomsbury Academic. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Joksimović, S., Gašević, D., Kovanović, V., Riecke, B. E., & Hatala, M. (2015). Social presence in online discussions as a process predictor of academic performance. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 31(6), 638–654. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kim, J. (2013). Influence of group size on students’ participation in online discussion forums. Computers and Education, 62, 123–129. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kwon, K., Park, S. J., Shin, S., & Chang, C. Y. (2019). Effects of different types of instructor comments in online discussions. Distance Education, 40(2), 226–242. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lander, J. (2015). Building community in online discussion: A case study of moderator strategies. Linguistics and Education, 29, 107–120. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lehman, R. M., & Conceição, S. C. O. (2010). Creating a sense of presence in online teaching: How to ‘Be There’ for distance learners (1st ed., Vol. 18). Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Love, K. (2006). Appraisal in online discussions of literary texts. Text & talk, 26(2), 217–244. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lowenthal, P. R., & Dunlap, J. C. (2020). Social presence and online discussions: A mixed method investigation. Distance Education, 41(4), 490–514. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lowenthal, P. R., & Snelson, C. (2017). In search of a better understanding of social presence: An investigation into how researchers define social presence. Distance Education, 38(2), 141–159. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Martin, J. R., & White, P. R. R. (2005). The language of evaluation: Appraisal in English. Palgrave Macmillan. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mercer, N. (1995). The guided construction of knowledge: Talk amongst teachers and learners. Multilingual Matters. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2000). Words and minds: How we use language to think together (1st ed.). Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Nugraheni, Y., Arifani, Y., Afdholy, N., Hidayat, N., & Liu, Y. (2024). Negative valence in an Indonesian context: An analytical appraisal of Jokowi’s rhetoric on Instagram. The International Journal of Communication and Linguistic Studies, 22(2), 99–114. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pawley, A., & Syder, F. H. (1983). Two puzzles for linguistic theory: Nativelike selection and nativelike fluency. In J. C. Richards & R. W. Schmidt (Eds.), Language and communication (pp. 191–226). Longman.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Peacock, S., Cowan, J., Irvine, L., & Williams, J. (2020). An exploration Into the importance of a sense of belonging for online learners. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(2), 18–35. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Phirangee, K., Epp, C. D., & Hewitt, J. (2016). Exploring the relationships between facilitation methods, students’ sense of community, and their online behaviors. Online Learning, 20(2), 134–154. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Richardson, J. C., & Ice, P. (2010). Investigating students’ level of critical thinking across instructional strategies in online discussions. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(1), 52–59. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Richardson, J. C., & Swan, K. (2003). Examining social presence in online courses in relation to students’ perceived learning and satisfaction. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 7(1). Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ross, A. S., & Caldwell, D. (2020). ‘Going negative’: An APPRAISAL analysis of the rhetoric of Donald Trump on Twitter. Language & Communication, 70, 13–27. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rourke, L., Anderson, T., Garrison, D. R., & Archer, W. (1999). Assessing social presence in asynchronous text-based computer conferencing. Journal of Distance Education, 14(2), 50–71.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Shelton, B. E., Hung, J.-L., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2017). Predicting student success by modeling student interaction in asynchronous online courses. Distance Education, 38(1), 59–69. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sinclair, J. (1991). Corpus, concordance, collocation. Oxford University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Swan, K., & Shih, L. F. (2005). On the nature and development of social presence in online course discussions. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 9(3), 115–136. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tran, G. H., & Ngo, X. M. (2018). News comments on facebook — a systemic functional linguistic analysis of moves and appraisal language in reader-reader interaction. Journal of World Languages, 5(1), 46–80. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wegerif, R. (2023). Will ChatGPT turn education back to Socrates? [URL]
Wegerif, R., & Major, L. (2024). The theory of educational technology: Towards a dialogic foundation for design (1st ed.). Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
White, P. R. R. (2020). The appraisal website. [URL]
Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Yang, T., Luo, H., & Sun, D. (2022). Investigating the combined effects of group size and group composition in online discussion. Active Learning in Higher Education, 23(2), 115–128. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zappavigna, M. (2013). Discourse of Twitter and social media: How we use language to create affiliation on the web. Bloomsbury Academic.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zhu, M., Herring, S. C., & Bonk, C. J. (2019). Exploring presence in online learning through three forms of computer-mediated discourse analysis. Distance Education, 40(2), 205–225. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-dark jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold-light jbe-platform.quadraat-sans-bold prag Twitter_Logo_Blue